The American Dream
by GoodGollyMissMollyx
Summary: Lilly and Faith move to America and into a world that isn't so unlikely. Faiths hidden past and Lilly's trust are all put onto the shoulders of the Sons of Anarchy men. But how much can they expect from the men they have never met.
1. Chapter 1

A/N - This is my first attempt at writing a FanFic so I hope you like it. Started out as just a bit of fun however the plans I have for my OC's and the story line involved, I hope it develops into something more. I know there isn't much SOA references yet but be patient, they are very much a part of this story, I just felt my OC's needed a bit of a back story 1st. Any tips or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you again for reading. Have a wonderful day.

**THE AMERICAN DREAM**

"O, shit!" exclaimed Faith, pulling her dark bangs back behind her ears to exam the bags under her eyes and the makeup from last night that had worked its way down to her cheeks. The little mirror hanging on by a thread was not going to offer her much comfort today. Not that she would have to deal with it much longer. The memories from last night were still slightly hazy; the party all 7 of her house mates had thrown for her and Lilly was one to rival all others. Leaving the bathroom to collect the clothes she had saved from being packed away, she realized Meg had still not woken up "5.45!" she called throwing a hairbrush at the general direction of Lilly's sleeping head. At least this would mean she could have at least half an hour to take a relaxing shower before she'd have to start really panicking. It had been 3 years since her and Lilly had met, both moving to Hereford for university from the south of England, and only a shorter amount of time for them to decide moving to America for a year was the perfect idea once both their courses were over. Washing off all evidence of last night from her body and hair had taken slightly longer than she had planned; the leaving cake that had been smacked into their heads had taken almost half a bottle of shampoo to get out. She felt the hot water scold her skin while she ran through a check list of everything that was happening today. She and Meg's parents were coming at 9am and they had until then to clean the house. Then after an hour with them they would be packing up both the parents' cars to put their clutter from the last 3 years into storage until they got back. Then it would be making sure everything else was in the suitcases they had borrowed from the friends in the house ready to go. The flight was leaving at 3pm giving them enough time to travel to the airport. Quickly dressing in her favorite comfortable clothes without giving much thought to drying herself she rushed out to find Lilly was indeed awake but not waiting outside the bathroom. Grabbing the hairbrush from where it had fallen on Lilly's side of the room Faith walked to the kitchen while brushing her hair behind her. she entered the kitchen expecting to only find Lilly, but was met with sleepy eyes from most of her housemates "Mornin'" grumbled Josh from the counter, putting the kettle on for a morning cup of tea. "hmm" Faith replied while shuffling through the kitchen past the three pairs of sad eyes that followed her movements. "jeeez guys! We aint dying, just going on an adventure!" said Lilly throwing her hands in the air while smiling at their overreacting yet lovable friends. "I just don't see why you're going. And for that long. Honestly! I thought you were joking, I'm gonna miss you guys so much!" exclaimed Emma and before they knew it, a group hug erupted with Sophia crying and everyone else pretty much getting to that emotional state. "FUCK! Is that the time! I need to shower and to…!" Lilly had left the room before she had a chance to finish her sentence, which, in any other case would have been fine. However this time Faith had to meet all the sad eyes alone. Not one for a conversation she put bread in the toaster and made a cup of tea sitting down in between Emma and Josh. They had clearly been awake all night, the house was pretty much clean, she was going to miss each and every single one of the friends she had made since arriving, they knew her inside and out, and it was going to be hard to be away from them after spending 3 years together.

Hearing the cars pull up both Lilly and Faith could hardly contain their excitement. It had been 6 months since they had seen their parents, even though this visit would be quick, it would be better than not seeing them at all. Faith hadn't really expected to see she father here, but couldn't help but feel resentment towards him that yet again he wasn't here for her. However was excited to see her mother's long-time friend Steve, who had been her only male role model in her life. Steve had always smelled of leather and dirt, the biker in him meant he was never around for long, but it was enough for Faith to think of him as more of a father than her biological father. Lilly welcomed her mother, stepfather, her father and Steve into the house while Faith and her mother waited outside in the cool morning. "You sure about this Faith? " Pamela asked, looking off into the distance. "Sure" Faith replied stuffing her hands in her pockets. She never could lie to her mother, and the thought of her finding out the real reason for this trip was sure to put an end to it. She had never been good at staying in one place and was always running from something, a habit her mother knew of. Going back into the house, mother in tow, Faith couldn't hide her growing anxiety, the plans had been made, and this is what she wanted right? A new start? "when ya ready Fay, we wanna get on the road soon" Lilly's excitement took some of the edge off, luckily she was travelling with someone this upbeat, it would be pretty hard to motivate herself and someone else, luckily she had already had enough sugar for the both of them to remain wired for their long trip to the airport. Lilly and Faith's brother, Elliot, were the only ones who had ever called her Fay and ever since her brothers accident she began to forget what it sounded like. Elliot had been Faiths best friend growing up and was probably the main reason for this trip. He had always wanted her to follow her dreams but now with the head injury he barely knew who she was. She only hoped that when the year was up he could somehow be able to recognize her as his best friend again. Elliot, much like everyone else in their little family had been obsessed by cars and had even taken a little interest into bikes, following his baby sister into rally's. however it was his love for the speed of cars that had caused his accident.

"Like I said Faith, if you ever get stuck out there, you call Chibbs, ok?" Steve said sliding her a phone number on a little bit of paper across the counter. She had had this conversation with Steve over the phone only a few days ago, apparently Chibbs was a good friend, someone who could be trusted, but she had never been one to trust anyone let alone someone she hadn't even met. It was highly unlikely she'd need this phone number, but took it anyway. As the other house mates joined them in the kitchen for a toast to see them off it was clear to see the life they were leaving behind, Lilly, who still believed this trip as a holiday, poured everyone a glass of either lemonade for the driving adults or shots of, what she assumed to be vodka, for the students. Having no intentions of coming home after this day Faith raised her glass of the cheap vodka "stars and stripes" she muttered before downing it in one before anyone had the chance to repeat her comment.


	2. Chapter 2

We had finally arrived. It wasn't that bad of a flight so I can't complain and I'm here in California, the land of dreams. Lilly's been quizzing me on my American knowledge for the last hour and is still laughing at how little I know about where we are going; my geography has never ceased to amaze her. Luckily she has sorted out the majority of our trip, including our money, which I would have probably forgotten to get changed into dollars. Everything had gone smoothly including getting a car from a rental dealership right outside the airport, even though the young tanned man had given us the most shitest car in the lot. He looked over I walked around to the front of the car, my family's infatuation with cars meant I knew more about cars than the majority of men I came across and could fix near enough any problem given the right garage and equipment. With the paperwork signed and everything in check we hit the road. First stop Sacramento.

"SHIT FAITH!" I had never seen her with so many shopping bags. We had been working in a local bar for the past 2weeks and hadn't even saved enough money to pay the rent on our motel room, let alone whatever she had in them bags. "Take them back, _please_" I couldn't even raise my voice at her, I was used to her spending all her money the second she had it, but this time we needed all we were getting. We both knew what was in them bags, junk. And lots of it. "Crap. I'm sorry"

She knows we don't have time for this. I know she doesn't like working in the bar but it's the only job that would take both of us and heaven forbid if we were separated. We were going to be late for sure now, especially as faith still needed to get in her uniform.

"Lilly, I swear he's going to fire me" whispered faith as she walked past her friend to get a glass from under the bar. Looking over at her boss who stood at the edge waiting for his drink "do you want me to give him his drink?" Faith sighed knowing that she would have to listen to his bullshit with his breath smelling of the whisky he's been downing all night. There are four types of drunk and he is a prime example of numbers 3 and 4 aggressive and touchy. "No, I'll do it. He'll only kick off if I don't." Faith answered pouring just under the amount of the triple shot Colin had asked for. The bar had lovely wooden interior and smelled of old leather with dimmed lights. The kind that reminded Faith of what it would be like in a pirate ship. She'd love this bar if she wasn't working behind it. She and Lilly had enjoyed nothing more than kicking of their shoes in bars and relaxing with a good drink during their time at University. But this was the real world and in the real world people were waiting to be served.

Hearing the crashing from the kitchen where Lilly was awaiting an order, she knew instantly somehow this involved Faith. Her guess was right. She entered the bar to see Faith with a cracked bottle in her hand and Colin holding his hand with a towel. "I guess we're fired then?" she said smiling at Colin who just looked up in her general direction. Well maybe he's so drunk he won't remember any of this tomorrow she thought hopefully, but then again the cut will probably remind him. "I'll get our coats" said Faith pushing past the other members of staff who had gathered to pull her away from him.

"Well shit Faith, you couldn't wait one more week"  
"clearly not."

"What are we going to do now, landlords gonna chuck us out if we don't pay"  
"we'll think of something, we always do."

"We're gonna have to run before Paul sees us. " Lilly whispered slowly winding her squeaking window up before she slid out of their old Ford Mondeo.

"We should probably pack; I'm guessing we'll leave tomorrow?" Faith retuned shutting her door as quietly as possible. Tomorrow they'd be travelling to Charming, a little town between Lodi and Stockton. This hadn't been on their original route however Steve made sure they at least passed through to check in with Chibbs. They would stay there no more than a week then move on.

"Cars packed, get up." Faith was already up and ready to go when Lilly had opened her eyes. Their sleeping pattern was really fucked up, she would go to bed late and wake up late whereas Faith would go to sleep early but be up half the night and wake up early. "Pepsi" Was all she could manage holding her hand in the air ready to receive the drink. It was the last one, they'd have to stop somewhere in charming before they found somewhere to stay, there was no way they'd make it through the day without the sugar.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where should I put it?" asked faith regarding the apology they had written in lipstick on a napkin for Paul. The word 'sorry' bright red with the smiley face underneath slightly smudged

"Anywhere, I don't think it's really gonna matter to him, unless he can sell it."

With the radio blaring some kind of romantic country song they were almost there. They had been driving for just over 2 hours which, for any other journey would be just fine, but for a journey that was supposed to take half an hour it was a joke. The traffic had given Lilly a headache and the heat wasn't helping either. "WELCOME TO CHARMING!" shrieked Faith reading the sign from the passenger seat, leaning forward to turn the music up even louder. ''Wanna stop for a drink and gas?" asked Faith now fumbling with her camera. "Yeah, as soon as we find somewhere I'm pulling in." replied Lilly just before the part of the song they both knew came on, which they both sang before laughing loudly. Weirdly this had been the most laid back they had been since starting their trip and for some weird reason Charming was already having some form of effect on them. Faith had said earlier it was the name, a town called Charming was the nicest thing she had heard in a while.

The gas station was barely noticeable, a small wooden shack with one gas pump outside. "I'll fill up, you go get us some drinks" Lilly said already at the pump. "Just these please" Faith looked at the bored cashier who looked no older than 15 who had obviously taken the time to look glamorous in her not so exciting job. "Oh and these" Faith said passing her two lollipops. One of the girls heavily made up eyebrows rose, as she took the alcohol back out of the bag she had packed. "I.D" you've got to be joking thought Faith, even though the laws are different here, she never thought she would get I.D'd especially at a one stop gas station. It was clear she had left it in the car after her frantic patting of all her pockets. Hearing the bell of the door ding as someone entered the small shop faith contemplated leaving everything out of embarrassment however with how thirsty she and Lilly was now she would have to buy everything but the bottle of Jack. "Never mind, I'll just take all that and the gas please" Faith murmured hearing the footsteps of the other customer come up behind her. She knew who had entered before having to look. The familiar smell of dirt road, wind and leather smelled like home, it had to be a biker, hopefully someone local so they could direct them to a nearby motel.

As she spun around she did not expect to see such a warm smile looking down at her. "Hey Katie, just the gas and that bottle please" said a young man dressed in a hoodie and jeans with a cut over the top. He couldn't be much older than her, with the boyish grin taking off years. He pointed to the bottle Faith had reluctantly given up. His head was shaven apart from a thin strip running in the centre with tattoos either side. He looked far too young to be in any kind of club, perhaps he was just prospecting thought Faith. The cashier almost immediately changed her positioning from almost laying down in her chair behind the counter to almost leaping over the desk. "Sure thing Juice" she replied with a heavy southern accent which seemed slightly forced. Faith rolled her eyes impatiently waiting for 'Katie' to hand her bag over, clearly she was mesmerised by the boy which put all the heavy makeup into perspective. "May i?" asked Faith as she leant over just falling short of the bags handles, as always. "Here" said the young biker putting the bottle of jack into the bag before passing it to Faith. Well that was unexpected. She usually never second guessed a biker's acts of kindness. She knew that their appearances made people think they were dangerous thugs who would sooner kill you than look at you, but that was hardly ever the case. The majority were family men who, around their forties wanted to live life to the extreme. "erh, thanks, you didn't have to" Faith said opening and closing the bag for no real reason.

"Juice" said the boy holding out his hand  
"Faith" she replied squinting her eyes instead of returning the handshake.

"Lilly." Faith hadn't even herd her come in, let alone stand next to her. As her friend and the boy shook hands she studied his leather.

"You're a sons?" she questioned pointing to his cut.

"Yeah, catch ya later Katie" juice said walking towards the exit throwing a dazzling smile over his shoulder towards the girl who all but drooled. It was only then Faith realised Juice hadn't paid for anything, but who was she to question what kind of relationship the two had, perhaps they were a couple?

"You girls need any help"

"Yeah, actually, do you know a Chibbs?"

"Lilly" whispered Faith poking her friend in the ribs to get her to stop talking. They would find Chibbs on their own


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N – just a big Thank you to all that have read The American Dream, so far. Sorry it's taken me a while to upload. Have a good day)

"Yeah, follow me" Juice was already on his Harley, helmet on and revving his engine before either of the girls could argue. You had to hand it to him, his energy and excitement really knew no bounds. They were strangers after all.

"Thought you wanted to rest?" asked Faith climbing into the passenger seat pulling a face at her friend.  
"I do, but this way we don't have to waste time tomorrow trying to find this guy"

Arriving at the Teller-Morrow garage both Faith and Lilly couldn't help their jaw dropping at the site of the bikes lined up one by one. "Shit, must be 30 at least. What the hell is this place" Lilly asked hoping out of the car and letting out a whistle in appreciation to the scale.

"You like the bikes?" Juice asked, grin securely back into place, head to one side as he removed his helmet and gloves.  
"O god yes! Bit much for a garage though isn't it?" asked Lilly tracing her hand over one of the unmanned bikes' Harley tag.

"O sweetheart, hands off the bike" purred the tall, smirking man walking towards them, His curly black hair being tossed around in the wind. He was much thinner built than Juice, taller and older. But still as good looking. "Hey brother, Jax wants you in church." And with a brief whisper between the two men and a nod, Juice had skipped off towards some kind of bar like building next to the garage calling over his shoulder for the man called Tig to look after the girls.

Lilly rolled her eyes towards Faith who wanted to do the same, it had been a long journey and all they wanted was to forget the past few weeks of bad sleep, shit jobs and constant travelling. Faith arched an eyebrow and nodded to the building Juice had skipped off towards. They both knew it was the closest place they could get a drink without wasting the bottle on the back seat of their car.

"Smart girls…" Tig said catching up with the two, throwing his arms around the back of their necks.

The building hadn't really been what they were expecting, it was quiet with only a few older men with their families drinking at tables scattered across the room. Lilly felt guilty about drinking in front of them, it was early afternoon and she didn't want to look like an alcoholic diving in while it was still light out but Tig was already at the bar with a bottle and three cups. It could be worse she thought. The girls behind the bar made her feel less guilty as soon as she saw them, dressed in hardly anything with more makeup than she thought humanly possible.

Sat at the bar, the time had flown by quicker than anticipated, the families had left and the three of them were growing louder and were drinking more than they should have. They had told Tig of their trip to America and how it had gone slightly worse than they had imagined it to, and he had told them of some of the wild nights they had had here. Their eyes had lit up like he had imagined his daughters would have if he had taken the time to tell them his exciting stories when he had the time. With Dawn's murder and Fawn moved out of town for protection he had forgotten what it was like to have daughters. Not that he went a day without thinking about them, but having Fawn so far away and Dawn 6 foot under for a mistake he had made, made him forget what it was like to have people relying on him for more than club duties. It was nice to have that back, even if it was only until they checked in with Chibs.

The words from behind the big wooden door to the left of where they were sat were getting louder, or closer, which had resulted in the laughter from their side to quieten down almost to a silence. The doors swung open only moments later to Juice whose boyish features had aged and tears were pooling in his eyes. "shit, is he ok?" asked Lilly swinging back around in her chair to face Tig who had downed his drink and stood up. He replied without looking away from the door, with one hand rested on her shoulder. "Yeah, he'll be fine…"  
"why weren't you in there?" Faith asked standing next to him. Both girls stood at a mere 5ft 3 with their shoes on, but their height didn't take away the way they stood taller than they were or the fact you couldn't deny they were there. Like a nagging headache. Even though most of the men at the bar hadn't even noticed their presence and Tig had often acted like he couldn't hear them during their conversation.

Tig didn't answer the question but walked over to the group of men pouring out the door.  
"Give me strength" muttered Faith following Tig's route to the gathered men with Lilly in tow.


	5. Chapter 5

All the bikes from earlier had made sense now. There were a lot of men coming out of the door and she had lost Tig somewhere in them all.

"Lill-" she spun around to find her friend was no longer behind her.

There was no way she was going to find anyone in the crowd especially as the music had started up so loudly they would never hear her. Her panic had already set in and all these bodies were making here feel claustrophobic.

Weaving through the now scattering crowd back the way she came she made a mental note to make sure her and Lilly didn't separate whilst here, there are too many people to watch without panicking about each other's safety.

"Thank god." She muttered making her way over to the corner of the room. Tig had clearly remembered about the girls after the rush of people and grabbed whatever one he could find. Lilly was stood on a chair scanning the room, having not seen Faith walking towards her, with Tig standing next to her protectively. She contemplated going to the bar to get another drink to make him suffer for losing her in the first place but decided that wouldn't be the best idea for her friend. Tig had been acting like a father and would probably yell at her, which she could handle, if it wasn't for those cold crystal blue eyes.

She didn't know what was up with the guys she had met here, or why it was of some great importance that someone 'looked after the girls' but it was getting weird. Surely there was no way they would know about her and Lilly's arrival prior to right now? She would have to ask either Tig or Juice at some point, but right now she wanted to find Chibs and get the hell out of the place.  
"Hey! Where you going?" the hand on her shoulder made her jump out of her day dream and snap her head back into reality, realising she was almost out the door. "Shit Tiggy you scared me" she sighed spinning around to face him and Lilly with another man she hadn't met yet. Her face went bright red with one hand still on her chest trying to calm her heart rate down. The other man was almost as tall as Tig with blonde hair reaching his shoulders. He had boyish good looks with a smile that was designed to melt hearts.

"You must be Faith, I'm Jax, Anything you need while you're here, you girls just ask ok?" with a wink, and a pat on the back for Tig, the blonde young man was gone.

"Tig, just help me find Chibs so we can leave" Faith was having trouble keeping the drink at bay before she would stop thinking clearly. And Lilly had already started swaying on her feet.  
"awh, just when I thought we were having fun"  
"you're looking for me are ya? S'alright Tig, I got 'em, go find Juicey, he could use a drink". Chibs was shorter than Tig, slightly stockier with greying hair. However all these features were second to the scars on both sides of his face along both cheeks.

"CHIBS!" Lilly threw her arms around his neck deafening them with her drunken shrill of delight. Jeeeez they were gonna have trouble leaving.  
"hey, so I was just checking in, we're still alive and well, so you can call Steve and let him know" Faith grabbed at Lilly's hands that had become a vice around Chibs's neck, luckily he didn't seem to mind.

The party behind them was in full swing with music blaring and half naked girls wrapped around the bikers dying for attention.

"What are you celebrating?" Faith asked holding both her and her friend against the wall.  
"nothin' it's like this all the time, how long you stayin' for" his Scottish accent was beautiful and cut through the music like a silk knife.

"erm we was gonna stay a week in charming, just to get some money together"  
Chibs smiled and nodded towards the bar "whah ya drinkin?"

"We should be going, we still need to find somewhere to stay" Faith was looking around the clubhouse and noticed all the small details of the place. The pool table was in full use with women and men betting on a winner, the bar was crowded yet everyone was served in no time at all. The booths were used by groups drinking together and the tables were now platforms for some of the skimpier dressed women who were dancing to their own songs. Everything had its place. The pictures on the wall were like trophies of old Harley's and the group's photographs together.  
"There are rooms in the back for t'night, don't worry, talk tomorra? I gotta sort summin" Chibs kissed them both lightly on the tops of their head before he walked away however not before summoning Tig back to their sides.  
"Tiggy are you like our guard dog?" Lilly asked, face beaming up to him  
"sure" Tig spun her around and onto his lap in the chair he had sunken into, drink in hand.

"C'mon dollface, there's room for two" he called up patting the arm of the chair.  
"You better look after her Tig." Faith stared at him as long as she could hold her eyes on his without caving under the weight of the endless blue. 'Goddamn it' she thought as she stalked away to the back of the building where Chibs had mentioned rooms.  
Making her way down the hall she couldn't help but wonder if anyone lived here full time. There were so many rooms, almost like a camp dorm. It was a shame to think they might not be used in such a lovely building. The smell of old pine and beer mixed together was just oozing from the walls. She stopped to examine a wall used entirely for the hanging of mug shots. How bleak. They are proud that they went to jail? Tig, Juice, Jax and even Chib's faces were displayed proudly in frames and lined up with all the others. All of them had been to jail. Why did Steve want her to check in with a known criminal?

The back rooms would likely be the quietest, further away from the main hall where the party hadn't even reached full swing. Trying the last door vigorously only to discover it was locked she moved along one, only to hear the door she had just tried open. Shit.

Out of embarrassment she threw her hair over her shoulder to block any view the man who stepped out of the room might have of her. She couldn't stop her eyes from darting quickly to see who she had disturbed only to see an older man with tattoos everywhere. Fumbling with the door handle she could hear him wipe his face with his rough hands and grumble under his breathe. 'Damn, I've pissed him off, why won't this door open!' she thought turning the handle the other way before the door swung open. Turning quickly to shut the door behind her she locked eyes with the heavily tattooed man as he walked past. His eyes were black and looked emotionless. Not someone she particularly wanted to see much of. He looked too cold even for her.

The room was filled with the bare essentials answering her question from earlier. No one lived in these rooms. It was homely yet barren of any personal objects apart from a photo on the dresser of two young boys. She recognised one as Jax, with his long blonde hair even at that age. He must have been around 7 or 8 and was standing next to another boy, both with their bikes, smiling. Did Jax have a brother? If he was here, why he wouldn't be president as by the look of it, Jax was younger. Knowing if she left the room for the luggage in the car she would have to face the party again so settled on undressing and searching the dresser in hopes of forgotten clothes she could borrow for the night and tomorrow.  
Luckily there were a few men's black t-shirts, one with the words  
SAMCROW  
REDWOOD ORIGINAL

Written on the front in the font she had seen on the back of the men's cut with the grim reaper big and bold. The shirt came to just above her knees, whoever this top belongs to, he must be tall.  
The sheets on the bed were soft and fresh, no way was this done by any of the men. This was a mother's washing. However as comfortable as the bed looked she didn't feel like sleeping on it, not with the photograph directly opposite, this room must have been someone's at some point who spent enough time here for it to hold an important memory of theirs. Instead she dragged the duvet over to the chair in the corner and settled in for the long night. Her sleeping habits meant she'd be up again in a few hours, giving the party hopefully enough time to die down and maybe she could find Lilly to get her to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The clock said it was 3.42am but it felt much earlier. The noise had died down an hour or so ago giving the room a deathly silence. She hadn't always had a problem sleeping and it was only since her father left that she would wake up several times throughout the night. The alcohol had made her dehydrated but she dint trust the water from the leaking tap. The room looked smaller in the dark and she could hear the rain pouring down outside. Funny how she had moved countries to be in the sun yet it still rained. Walking into the bathroom it was clear this was the nicest room she had been in since the trip to America had begun. And was something she didn't want to get used to. The bathroom was bare, except from the obvious essentials. The bath was a welcoming sight and something she wanted badly but without any soap and shampoo there was little point in making one now. The mirror was a nice size and very clear. 'Nooooo' thought Faith pulling at the top of her hair. Her natural blonde hair had started coming through already and was starting to get visible. People who didn't know Faith thought her hair was naturally black, it suited her and no one questioned it. But to her family she was still the little blonde girl whose skin she so badly wanted to change.

She wouldn't be able to drag it out much longer and was pretty sure everyone had either left or gone to rooms for the night. She would have to leave eventually for some water at least. Walking back through the corridor she couldn't help but think about her mother being Faith's own age and what it must have been like. Maybe that's why she had no worries of bringing Faith up in a lifestyle which may seem unfit from an outsider's prospective. Her mother had always been around bikes, and had even owned her own so had been cautious of the lifestyle Faith and Elliot veered towards. They were taught to always respect the road and the vehicle you were behind the wheel of, go too fast or make a mistake and that could be it. The lesson must have gone straight past Elliot as by that time he was already driving recklessly.

The lights in the hallway were off but the light from the bar managed to reach. The bar was completely empty apart from one person sat in a stool staring at the back wall where the liquors and a large mirror stood. He didn't say anything but shifted his weight on the stool so he could turn himself away from the entrance where Faith stood. That suited them both fine as it allowed her to get a drink without feeling watched and allowed him to be as angry as he wanted at her for waking him earlier. Scanning the room it was clear Lilly wasn't left passed out here, sadly as Faith selfishly could use the company, however that meant she was somewhere else, hopefully tucked up asleep.

"Faith" she felt her voice shrink as she spoke her own name breaking the silence in hope of discovering Lilly's whereabouts. She hadn't meant it, but found herself feeling like a child by the way she had interrupted whatever the man was thinking about. The effect she had hoped for died straight away as he raised his eyes but said nothing. She had expected him to look away again; instead he sat staring at her.

Leaning against the bar opposite the tattooed man she could make out each one of his pieces, where they joined around his arms and wrapped around his head. Snakes. The thought made her chuckle for unknown reasons. She tried again to engage him in conversation, wanting to be blunt and demand he tell her where her friend is, but decided that wasn't the best approach when then man she was asking looked deadly.

"Can't sleep? Guess that's partly my fault" he was clearly angrier than she had thought. His veins in his head looked ready to burst and his jaw was clenched shut. Perfect. That meant she was going to either have to leave to sit alone in the room or carry on annoying him. Not really a choice, she would rather be alone than speak to someone who didn't want to be spoken to. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of someone talking at you. Spinning on her heels she exited the bar when stopped at the entrance to the hallway by his cracked murmur.  
"That's Opie's shirt". 

_I have no idea who Opie is but the Man has said it with such venom my eyes are starting to sting as I fight back tears. I'm frozen in my place; I just wait until I hear him rise from his seat. Hopefully to retreat back to his room. I think I'm waiting for him to elaborate or to explain to me who Opie is, but in all honesty I'm just waiting for him to apologise. Instead he reaches over the bar for a bottle and glass from under the counter. My heart stops as he passes by, thinking he's going to speak more in his raspy whisper of a voice so bow my head ready for the blow, but nothing. He just walks by. I tug at the shirts hem as I wait to make sure I have left him enough time to reach his room. I'm not even sure if I'm upset or just angry that he didn't reply, and the only time he did was so hostile. Well fuck him then. The man with snakes on his head speaks like a snake. And probably acts like one to. _

"Lilly!" Faith had been known for being a little bit crazy back home; it had been a good way to keep people away. She wasn't _crazy_,crazy. Just did stupid shit sometimes without warning. You could look at it one of two ways, hilarious or dangerous. As she paced the hallway banging on doors screaming her friends name she thought about all the times it had been the other way round. Lilly had so often come looking for Faith on the nights she would take off. She would usually end up somewhere dodgy with people she didn't know. But trust Lilly to come and get her. But this time it was going to be her begging to leave, making her friend wake up and leave the place they had found themselves in.  
"Jesus fucking Christ?" Tig opened his door a bit too wide. The girl inside barely even looked up. "That better not be her Tig-"  
"you think I'm stupid doll face? She's in Juice's room, go fucking wake him up." Tig looked rough as hell, his curly hair sticking out in every direction. He may be a lot of things but thank god he wasn't that stupid. He slammed the door on her face and Faith could hear him padding on the wooden floor back to bed and back to whoever that girl was.

Knocking on Juices door louder than really needed, she didn't much expect an answer but almost jumped when she received just that. Juice stood, fully clothed at the doorway, wide awake. "Hey" he leaned against the door frame so Faith could see in. Lilly was on the bed with a blanket thrown over her. With a pile of other blankets in the chair opposite. "She passed out, want me to wake her?"

"Is she ok?"

"She's fine, she was a little sick but put her to bed about 2 hours ago"

Juice could tell that wasn't what she was asking.

"Jeeez Faith, nothing happened."

Instead of his dazzling smile calming her, it only aggravated her more. Her inability to stay mad at him. It had been one night and already she was getting sick of these men and how laid back they were. Letting 2 strangers into their place of, well whatever this place was, allowing them free drinks, a place to sleep. Back home she would have been more than happy to stay here, in fact had found herself in this situation many times before. The hospitality of people can be classed as either evil or kind and she hadn't sussed out the people here enough to know what side they fell on to.

"You ok?" Juice looked down at the girl, rubbing the sides of her forehead with her forefingers.  
"Yeah, just tell her to come find me when she wakes up."  
"you sure?"

Faith scowled at Juice before turning once again on her heels. This time heading for the exit as she pulled on her boots. Lilly will be out for a few more hours and she wanted to see the area she had ended up in.

The streets were dark and almost empty; a few bars were just closing for the night with crowds of people leaving. She hadn't noticed since arriving, but the stars definitely shone brighter here than they ever did back home. She recognised some of the men leaving the bars as some of the men that were in the crowd earlier. How are they still going? She thought before quickly reminding herself that she was still awake, although not partying as hard as the men. Not partying at all actually.

Heading back to the garage/clubhouse just as the sun was rising Faith realised this was the most she relaxed she had been since arriving. She had spent one day here yet classed the 45 minute walk she had just undergone as a walk home. As much as she felt uneasy around and didn't trust the criminals who called this place home, she and Lilly would be safe here as they will ever be elsewhere. And as much as she would be in shit for her actions this morning, she really wanted to stay, even if it was only for a week or so.

The clubhouse was in almost complete darkness, someone had been awake and turned all but one of the bar lights off. Perfect. She had just reached her door when she heard Chibs call her name. Damn. So close yet so far. She turned and returned the smile he was wearing as he walked up the hallway to where she stood.

"Come tuh' kitchen for a sec?" Faith just nodded, her head and eyelids were getting heavy but she had so many questions and guessed this would be the best time to talk before everyone else woke.

Chibs had just settled into his chosen chair with a coffee and a cigarette  
"you went to jail?" asked Faith, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms across her stomach.

He chuckled for a few seconds and inhaled on his cigarette before answering

"Aye, we all have. There's nothin' I wouldn't do for ma brothers. Jail is a part of that."

"How do you know Steve?"

"He Came here for a while, when you and yerh brother were babies. He's a part of SAMCRO but taken a backseat to be there for you and ya ma since ya brother got messed up."

"Is there anything I should know? Are me and Lilly in danger if we stay for a while?"  
"no." the staring contest between them was making Faith's already burning eyes feel like they were being scratched out of her skull.  
"Who's the snake man?" Chibs stared at Faith as if she had spoken a different language until he began to chuckle under his breathe.

"That's Happy." Faith almost spat out the swig of Chibs's coffee she had taken. Happy! Is that a fucking joke? The man was anything but. She was still thinking over the name when Chibs excused himself to get some sleep back at his house. It was only then she had forgotten the man's shirt she was wearing and her wanting to ask about Opie. She was too tired to run after Chibs and decided it could wait till later on when they had both had some sleep. 


End file.
